AI Gigafactory on the Black Sea takes shape! Romania makes first move toward a strategic digital infrastructure project

The Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance, with technical support from the Authority for the Digitalization of Romania (ADR), have launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) to identify and preselect a consortium leader for the development of the Black Sea AI Gigafactory project, a major computing infrastructure initiative dedicated to artificial intelligence, with national, regional, and European relevance.

According to official documents, the initiative is defined as a strategic digital infrastructure project. The estimated energy consumption for the initial phases could reach up to 1,500 MW, supplied through a mixed energy system that includes existing and planned nuclear capacities.

“The project is designed as a strategic AI computing infrastructure initiative of national and regional importance, aimed at supporting the development of advanced digital and industrial capabilities, strengthening Romania’s role in the emerging European AI ecosystem, and positioning the Black Sea region as a key hub for next-generation AI infrastructure,” the authorities stated.

Indicative requirements: 20,000 AI accelerators in the initial phase

Interested parties are invited to submit a conceptual development proposal that includes, in the first phase, a capacity of approximately 20,000 GPUs or equivalent AI accelerators, as well as an approach to scalability and future demand.

Procedure timeline:

– EOI launch: April 15, 2026

– Submission deadline: June 14, 2026, 17:00 (Romania time)

– Deadline for clarification requests: June 1, 2026

– Responses to clarifications: June 5, 2026

The Black Sea AI Gigafactory is presented by authorities as a project of strategic importance, with a significant impact on Romania’s positioning within the European emerging technologies landscape.

The official announcement highlights the goal of “developing advanced digital and industrial capabilities” and strengthening Romania’s role in the European AI ecosystem.

100,000 AI accelerators in two locations: Cernavodă (Phase I) and Doicești (Phase II)

The Black Sea AI Gigafactory is a proposal submitted to the European Commission for the development of AI computing infrastructure at an industrial scale. The initiative is part of the European “AI factories” program, aimed at enhancing the European Union’s capacity to train artificial intelligence models.

According to official documents, the infrastructure is expected to be developed across two main sites—Cernavodă and Doicești—selected for their access to energy resources and existing infrastructure. “The project will oversee the installation of over 100,000 AI accelerators across two locations: Cernavodă (Phase I) and Doicești (Phase II),” according to materials submitted at the European level.

The estimated energy consumption for the initial phases could reach up to 1,500 MW, supported by a diversified energy mix that includes both existing and future nuclear capacities.

Market consultation stage and selection criteria

Authorities emphasize that the current procedure is intended as a market consultation step and does not involve final decisions regarding investment or technical structure at this stage.

“The EOI represents an initial step of market consultation and preselection, aimed at identifying a consortium leader with proven capacity and credibility for a project of this scale,” the Ministry of Energy stated.

At this stage, no final technical design, consortium structure, or financing commitments are required.

“No final technical design, definitive consortium composition, investment structure, or firm financing commitments are requested at this stage,” the official document adds.

Energy investments – the context for AI infrastructure

The expansion of energy capacity is supported by several major projects currently underway or in development across Romania, according to data from the energy sector.

In the nuclear energy sector, Units 1 and 2 at Cernavodă each have a capacity of approximately 700 MW, totaling around 1,400 MW installed. The refurbishment of Unit 1 is estimated at around €2 billion. Units 3 and 4 are also under development, with a similar potential capacity, depending on final investment decisions. The World Bank has expressed interest in this investment, according to statements by Romanian officials.

Regarding small modular reactors (SMRs), the Doicești project, developed through an international partnership, has a planned capacity of approximately 462 MW, based on publicly available data.

In the natural gas sector, the Mintia power plant is planned to have a capacity of approximately 1,700 MW, making it one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe, while the Iernut plant is estimated at around 430 MW.

In the renewable energy sector, Romania is implementing a support scheme through Contracts for Difference (CfD), targeting approximately 5 GW of new installed capacity in the coming years, mainly in wind and solar energy.

At the national level, the total installed capacity is estimated at between 18 and 20 GW, depending on the calculation methodology and the inclusion of variable renewable sources, according to data from the national energy sector.